


Start the Sun

by ideallyqualia



Series: UshiOi [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ensemble Stars! Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Idols, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 16:11:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8216293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/ideallyqualia
Summary: Ushijima is Oikawa's rival. Oikawa's decided this.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this was rly fun to write and great stress relief. i hope it’s fun to read too! i love idol aus.
> 
> this is actually a crossover fusion with enstars. since there's already a canonical ao3 tag for idol au i didnt feel like i needed to tag enstars. background info isn't necessary, all you have to know is that they both go to the same idol school. a quick note on their units: Oikawa's unit is called Akatsuki, and Ushijima's is called fine. (i rly love the idea of ushi as wataru in his own special way.)
> 
> if you _do_ know enstars, this is based off a scene from it.

Oikawa opened the door to the dance room. He didn't expect to be alone and have it to himself, but he expected to share it in a _normal_ fashion. Already at the start, he had to traipse through leaves and plant rubbish to get past the entryway.

"Ushiwaka...?"

He saw Ushijima stretching along the mirror, bent and reaching to his feet. Oikawa gave a shove to the door and let it slam shut to announce himself.

"Ushiwaka, I knew this is your fault! Why'd you cover the dance room in plants and flowers? No one can dance in this."

Ushijima straightened. "Someone left all the windows open earlier, and leaves blew in."

"I don't care about that! What about these?" Oikawa motioned at the pots of roses lining the floor along a few walls.

"I think it provides atmosphere. You told me I should do something about being too serious."

"This isn't what I meant." Oikawa stared down at his feet. The autumn leaves did give a soft bloom of color, but it ruined the point of having a room and floor specifically made for dancing. Oikawa rummaged with his foot to clear space and kick leaves away.

"We really should clean the leaves, though," Ushijima said.

"You think?" Oikawa shuffled over the floor to latch the windows shut. "It's getting windier and colder. Why does anyone still open these? We should put locks on these after summer ends," he said as he secured them. He stood back. "I'm tempted to stick around and wait to catch whoever's doing this."

"Aren't you busy?" Ushijima gauged him with a glance. "I would think the vice president of the student body council had more things to do than this."

Oikawa crossed his arms. "You're right. I came here to practice. But with the way things are, I can't exactly dance." Oikawa's arms swung back down to his sides, and he grumbled in his throat. "How can you even intend to dance with this...this..."

"You don't have any words?"

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not speechless." Oikawa flicked his hand in the air. "Feh. There's still too many flowers. Why are you so...why are you like this? Go stick with your oddballs all in one place and don't interrupt me."

"I have an obligation to my unit."

"Go be with them, then," Oikawa said.

"I'm going to practice, here. For them."

Oikawa drew out a groan. He turned and faced away. "Fine. We'll both practice." He paused and looked out over the roses. "Weren't those heavy?"

"It was good exercise," Ushijima said.

Oikawa's nose wrinkled. "You turn everything into a weird game."

"It's not a game. It was exercise."

"Don't get me caught up. I'm practicing." Oikawa crossed his arm over his chest to stretch.

"Do you want to practice together?" Ushijima asked. He walked around to meet Oikawa's eyes again. "I'm sure there's something to learn from each other."

"There's nothing we can learn from each other. You're eccentric and all over the place but still collected, and the way I can't explain you is confusing, and a sign that we're _rivals_. Don't let your circus and animals and trip you up. You can't touch Akatsuki, and so long as I'm the leader of Akatsuki, I won't let you _mix_ the two." Oikawa jerked his head away. "I bet you'd look awful in our outfit, too. And you don't fit any of the delicate themes that Akatsuki embodies. You don't have the keen sense of taste and tact of manner to handle it. You're a dancing cow."

The deep timbre of Ushijima's laugh snapped Oikawa's eyes to him. Ushijima laughed in a polite gesture under his hand, the low dips of his voice ringing together in his chest. Oikawa could never describe it perfectly in his head when he heard it. It almost seemed to echo, warm and deep, like in the base of a tree. Having it was an unfair advantage to being an idol, Oikawa decided a while ago.

"Why're you laughing? Are you finally out of it?"

Ushijima lowered his hand, his trace-element of a brightness still along his mouth. "I was trying to think of that image."

"It's an abomination. Something that ridiculous is a joke." Oikawa crossed his arms again. "So do you even have anything to say about it? Are you just going to let me walk all over you like this? I really don't get you."

"You're the one that's letting me walk over you. Refusing to learn from me shows you lack insight and inspiration. In the real world, idols accept plentiful kinds of challenges to place themselves in a better place to understand what else they can do. If you won't practice, then you'll lag behind my unit. You shouldn't hold your members back because of any reservations you have toward me."

"Hold them back? _Reservation_ s? Fine! Let's practice!" Oikawa stomped his foot. "What're we going to do? Dance? Sing? I'm not going to dance with you. A duet, maybe, but I doubt we know the same songs."

Ushijima carefully removed Oikawa's glasses from his head, his hand backing away gently. "I'll be right back. And I'll take these. No one in fine has glasses. It doesn't match our costume."

"Did you just take my glasses?! Give it back! I can't see!" Oikawa dragged his hand up to his eyes.

"If you're that blind, why are you covering your eyes?"

"Shut up!"

Ushijima's footsteps led away, crinkling with the leaves on the floor.

"Damnit, Ushiwaka. You're going to make everything as painful as possible in true fine fashion. I should've known. This is my fault, too."

Ushijima slipped an outfit into Oikawa's hands. "This is fine's costume. I have Akatsuki's in my hands."

Oikawa stiffened. "Where'd you get it from? Did you just take mine? And is this yours? That's disgusting. I'm not wearing your clothes!"

Oikawa covered his eyes again. "And this is unfair. I can't see you change, but you can see me change clothes."

"Oh? Would you like to see? I don't mind."

" _No_ ," Oikawa emphasized. "It's unequal, and I don't want it to be."

"If you're saying no, then why do you want to look?"

" _I don't want to look_." Oikawa turned. "Just. Don't look."

"But you're facing in my direction."

Oikawa furiously spun back with a groan. "Next time, walk away, Tooru, walk. Away," he mumbled.

He heard the accoutrements of Ushijima's costume shift and wrinkle as Ushijima moved. "You seem to suit the costume well, but only without your glasses."

Oikawa squinted into the air. He honed in on Ushijima's voice, and paid attention to it. He snatched them from Ushijima. "You're awful, Ushiwaka. Can't you understand? Taking my glasses from me is like taking the feathers off a bird. That's in your own language, so you _should_ be able to understand that, right?"

Ushijima dusted off his arm. "I understand. I'm sorry."

Oikawa breathed out in satisfaction. "Good. Don't forget it. Now what are we supposed to do?"

"What did you say earlier? Akatsuki's delicacy is too complicated for me?"

"Yeah, that's right. You can't even do the simple things." Oikawa nodded. "You make tea that smells good, but it's a mess. And you'd probably be clumsy with a sword or flute."

"Do all of you play the flute?"

"Yes, we do. It's the basic level of Akatsuki. Other musicians get to that point, and _then_ they can start comparing themselves to us." Oikawa looked at Ushijima. "Do you want me to go get a flute?"

"Yes, please."

"Well, since you said please, I guess I have to." Oikawa turned and walked. "I'm taking my time, too."

"I have plenty of time, but aren't you busy?"

Oikawa leaned into a faster pace. "No!" he called from the hallway.

Ten minutes later, he arrived with his flute case and paper slip in his hands. Ushijima approached him and tilted his head to look.

"Wait, don't take that--"

Ushijima pulled the paper from him and picked it up to read. "Is this from the hall monitor?" Ushijima's eyebrows wrinkled. "What happened?"

"He told me to stop running and yelling. It's all your fault."

"I don't understand. Why were you running? Isn't it well-mannered and in line with your delicacy theme to walk kindly?"

"Don't _lecture_ me." Oikawa grumbled, "It's only around _you_. I only lose my touch around you. You really are a devil."

Ushijima gestured to the flute case. "How should we begin?"

Oikawa crouched to the floor, opened it, and assembled the flute. "This is mine, so be careful with it." He stood and gave it to Ushijima, slowly, as if from hesitation.

"You have to be patient with it. Don't force sound out of it."

Ushijima lifted it toward his lips.

"Wait, don't start playing yet--"

Ushijima gently blew into the mouthpiece. A soft fragile sound played from the flute, carrying like a shrill companion to the wind. It grew stronger after a puff of more air.

"You're a beginner, slow down!" Oikawa reached to wave at him or push the flute away, but he gave up and opened and closed his fists, unable to calm himself. "Don't push whatever keys you want, you tyrant fool, that's not how it works."

Ushijima took one more breath and played again. This time, the sound that rang out was undeniably harmonious: music. He extended one long note, and then moved to another, and another, stringing out a simple song every beginning musician learned on any instrument.

"You can play it...?"

Ushijima's eyes lidded to concentrate. Oikawa hesitated now to interrupt him, he looked so calm and at peace playing around and experimenting, even as he hit bad pitches a couple of times.

"Alright. Ushiwaka, that's enough. Hand it over. I can't watch you manhandle my flute." Oikawa tugged on the end of the flute, and Ushijima released it into his grip.

Ushijima returned a steady gaze. "How was it?"

"You... Do you already know how to play the flute? You should've told me! You're kind of terrible, too. You haven't been playing long."

"I've never played it before." Ushijima stared down at his hand. He extended and curled his fingers. "I think it fit well. It was comfortable to play."

"What do you mean, you've never played before?"

"I can play other instruments, but I've never given the flute a try." Ushijima drew his hand to his chin and made a questioning hum. "I can play by ear on the piano. If I can play the flute on the first try, then..."

Oikawa averted his eyes to look into the wall. It did fit him well, but the fact he could play it broadcasted disaster in another way.

"Are you some kind of musical prodigy? Don't hide these things from me."

"I have a sense for the music, not just in singing."

Oikawa bent back to his case and took his flute apart. "Probably can't even put a flute together..."

"I think I'd like to try playing the flute in a song. It'll be something new for us." Ushijima bowed to Oikawa, and the suddenness made Oikawa jump to his feet. "Thank you for showing me."

"I didn't even play." Oikawa shifted and settled back on his feet. "What did you just say? You're going to play the flute? For _fine_?"

"Yes."

"Don't _add_ to your list of eccentricities."

"You keep a list?"

"You know what I mean." Oikawa waved his hand. "Keep doing stuff like this, and you'll get more and more unreachable. Even if it's just for show."

"But you told me a few days ago to break out of my boringness."

"I take it back. Go back." Oikawa kicked a few leaves away. "So now, what do you have planned next?"

Ushijima went to the wall and retrieved a hat from his belongings. He returned and showed it to Oikawa. "Fine's skill includes magic. You should give it a try."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Let me demonstrate." Ushijima reached inside. "Handling this is no easy task. Do you think you're ready for it?"

"Stop talking yourself up and do it."

Ushijima produced a dove in his hand. It flapped its wings and sent feathers in a flurry of movement. Oikawa coughed and waved the feathers away.

"Give me a warning before you take birds out of nowhere! Taking them out even in the middle of practice with me...is that what you were planning all along?" Oikawa flicked feathers off his arm. "Where did this even come from? Have you been keeping a bird in this room this whole time?"

"This bird is very docile and easygoing. Even compared with the training that all my doves undergo, this one is adaptive and smart. He can stay hidden for periods of time, but I went to retrieve him from a clubroom." Ushijima stroked the dove's feathers. It, in turn, craned its neck down to receive a scritch. It cooed in response.

"A bird, smart? Don't pull my leg."

"Since he's smart, he's perfect for a beginner like you. As you said about Akatsuki, and the flute being a basic level, handling an already-trained bird is the elementary level of magic and showmanship, according to fine's attributes."

"Don't compare our units." Oikawa pointed at the top hat. "What do you want me to do? Should I take him out of that hat?"

"Yes. Here, let me prepare everything for you."

"I can do it myself." Oikawa yanked the hat from his hand. The quick movement made the dove cringe.

"Oikawa," Ushijima said warningly, "don't move so quickly. You'll startle him, and he's not liable to behave when he's scared."

"If he's trained, shouldn't he behave?"

"That's not how this works." Ushijima raised his hand, bringing the dove with him. "Are you alright? Can you work with Oikawa just this once?"

"Do I have to talk to it?"

"No. You don't know how to talk to him." Ushijima swept a few feathers out of the dove's eyes. His knuckle lingered slow on his head. "I'm handing you over to Oikawa now." He lowered the dove into the hat.

Oikawa extended his hand. "I just take it out, right?"

"Normally, a magician exhibits the hat to show that there's nothing inside."

"The bird will fall out," Oikawa said.

"This is why you have to start at the first level. You learn the revealing part of the trick later. For now, retrieve the dove from the hat."

"Fine, fine." Oikawa's hand moved inside. He fumbled to wrap his hand around it, and after a few moments, he resorted to turning his hand all the way around the inside of the hat to find it.

"What's wrong?"

"Your bird is running from me!" Oikawa pulled his hand out and peered inside. "Why does this feel like a cave but look like an overpriced paper bag?"

"There isn't enough space inside for him to hide."

"Well, he's hiding." Oikawa shoved his hand back inside. With one grab, he succeeded, and he pulled the dove out. "Ha, finally!"

He clamped his beak on Oikawa's finger. Oikawa released him and stumbled backwards.

"Did you see that? He bit me!"

Ushijima raised his arm, and the dove alighted on his wrist. "So your first attempt didn't go over well. Would you like to try again?"

"What do you mean? I already took it out. That's all I have to do. I succeeded as pathetically as you did. You can barely make a song on the flute." Oikawa clapped his hands free of dust and feathers. "I'm done. Give me my clothes back."

"As you wish." Ushijima placed the dove in the hat to let it sit comfortably inside. Then he pulled the outfit over his head.

"Are you a prude or not? Why can't you close the curtains when you change?" Oikawa trudged up to them and unfurled them. "Really, Ushiwaka. You're so amazing at so many things, but you can't even remember etiquette."

By the time he returned, Ushijima was already in his school uniform. He pushed the costume into Oikawa's arms. "Here you are."

"Turn around. I have to change, next."

Ushijima obeyed. He stared at the wall. "What do you think of birds, Oikawa?"

"Pigeons and seagulls are nothing but nuisances, but _some_ birds can be cute. None of yours, though. Your doves are glorified pigeons."

"Doves are pigeons."

"I stopped listening." Oikawa dumped the clothes on Ushijima's shoulder. "Here. I'm done." He stepped back and surveyed the room. "That could barely be called practice. Now I really have to practice dancing."

"What about the floor?"

"I'm getting a broom," Oikawa called out as he turned and left the room.

When he came back, he stopped and looked at Ushijima. "Why're you still here? Aren't you done?"

"I am. I wanted to thank you for spending time with me. I know you're a busy person." Ushijima nodded. The soft dip of his head forward and brief closing of his eyes made Oikawa glance away.

"I know. You're welcome." Oikawa leaned onto the broom, and he sighed. "Somehow, I still have the feeling that I owe you something."

"Any obligations you have to me were already fulfilled."

"So you admit I _did_ owe you something."

"This isn't an argument to be won, Oikawa."

"Hn. Right." Oikawa brushed his hand over his head. "Now that I think about it, though, I..."

Ushijima's eyes fell on him with expectant silence. "Yes?"

"You're a barely understandable oddball, but I think that's okay. If you can twist your quirks into theater and entertain people, then do whatever you want. In fact, do whatever you _can_ , and just try to see if your unit remains at the top for long." Oikawa shifted, his arms crossing on top of the broom handle. "You were right. I can see why spending time with other idols once in a while is valuable experience. I still don't understand what makes you so special, but one day I will, and then you'll be put in your place."

Ushijima's mouth drew together in a thoughtful frown. "You want to know why I'm special? I don't understand."

"Don't pick at the wrong words here. You're my sworn and dignified rival, dignified by me, and I'm only trying to compete with you."

Ushijima scratched his chest. "I don't know what you're getting at. But if you want to compete, then I look forward to the day when we can both understand each other."

"Can you at least try to listen to me? You're the masked mystery of this school, and no one can ever understand what's going on in your head. All I want is to..." Oikawa groaned. "Never mind. I can't explain myself."

He pushed the broom and started sweeping. "Unless you want to help, get out. I'm busy now."

"I'll help." Ushijima went into the hallway and came back with a broom.

Oikawa paused and watched him sweep for a minute. Ushijima didn't give him a single glance, only focusing on his task. His concentration held his seriousness and neutral enigma in place, calming his face in pleasant light and his shoulders in relaxed angles. He failed to notice Oikawa watching him.

Oikawa shook his head and got back to sweeping.

**Author's Note:**

> and then they graduate, grow up, and end up in the same unit and have to learn to work together. all according to furudate's prophecy
> 
> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


End file.
